Microsoft Outlook is one of the most commonly used email clients for personal and business communication. It allows users to manage their emails, contacts, calendar and tasks efficiently. However, sometimes, you may encounter the common error “Outlook Cannot move the items.” You receive an error message from Outlook when you try to move mail or an item and Outlook prevents you from moving it.
Fortunately, error can be resolved once you know the causes of the error, and and apply the right solutions.. In this article, we will explain the reasons for this Outlook error and explain some practical ways to fix it.
Reasons Behind the Error Outlook Cannot Move the Items
- Outlook mailboxes have a storage limit. When your mailbox is full, you will see Outlook stop you from doing new actions like moving items between folders until space is freed up.
- When PST or OST files become corrupted or damaged, Outlook may not be able to move or synchronize things correctly.
- When using a shared mailbox or public folder, you may not have the permissions to move or change content.
- A corrupted or misconfigured profile in Outlook can cause synchronization issues and block normal actions like moving data.
- Some third-party add-ins or antivirus programs scan email content and may interfere with Outlook’s ability to move items.
Once the possible cause of the problem is identified, use the following information to fix the problem or for further troubleshooting.
Solutions to Fix Outlook Cannot Move the Items Error
If facing a problem to move emails or other items in Outlook because of the error that Outlook cannot move the items. Then you should try these solutions to fix this issue that we discussed below-
1. Check Mailbox and Folder Size:
You should delete all unnecessary emails and empty the Deleted Items and Junk Email folders. To free up more space, back up older emails and move them into a PST file. This helps reduce the size of your mailbox, which can prevent the Outlook Cannot move the items error in Outlook. Once space is cleared, you should be able to move items without any issues.
2. Repair PST or OST File: Use the Inbox Repair Tool (ScanPST.exe):
- Firstly, you should Close the Outlook.
- Navigate to: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\root\OfficeXX\ (replace XX with your version).
- Run ScanPST.exe and follow the prompts to repair your Outlook data file.
3. Create a New Outlook Profile:
You should create a new Outlook profile to fix the issue of cannot move the items. Simply follow these steps-
- Go to Control Panel > Mail > Show Profiles.
- Click Add to create a new profile.
- Set it as the default and restart Outlook.
4. Verify Folder Permissions:
If the folder is in a shared mailbox or public folder then you verify the folder permissions.
- Right-click the folder > Properties > Permissions.
- Ensure you have Editor or higher access.
5. Disable Conflicting Rules:
- Go to Home > Rules > Manage Rules & Alerts.
- Check if any rules are automatically moving items.
- Disable or modify them if they are causing conflicts.
6. Check for Synchronization Issues
- Make sure Outlook is connected and synchronized.
- Switch to Online Mode or disable Cached Exchange Mode temporarily via:
- File > Account Settings > Account Settings > Change > Uncheck “Use Cached Exchange Mode”
7. Disable Add-Ins and Antivirus Temporarily
- Go to File > Options > Add-Ins.
- Click Go next to “COM Add-ins” and uncheck all.
- Restart Outlook and test moving items.
- Also, try disabling antivirus email scanning temporarily.
8. Update Outlook and Windows
- Make sure Outlook and Windows are fully updated.
- Go to File > Office Account > Update Options > Update Now.
Professional Tool to Resolve Cannot Move the Items in Outlook Error
If none of the above approaches are working to resolve the issue Outlook Cannot Move the Items, chances are that your PST files are severely corrupted. In that case, the best option to fix the issue is using a professional Outlook repair program.
One best option is Yota PST Converter Tool which can repair and recover PST files. Unlike built-in ScanPST, this tool had not restrictions when dealing with corrupted PST files or oversized PST files. It has been designed for repairing and migrating data without losing any single bit of data.
How the Tool will help fix this error?
Repairs Damaged PST files: Restore your Outlook data files that are preventing you from moving the items across folders.
Recover Complete Mailbox Data: The tool helps you to save emails, contacts, calendars, attachments etc. from Outlook to your local PC in your desired format.
Data Integrity Intact: It will maintain folder hierarchy and meta properties throughout the process.
Flexibility: The tool is flexible enough to add single as well as multiple PST files into the panel. This way you can move the required data from Outlook to your desired location.
By repairing the corrupt PST file, the program fixes the root cause of the “Cannot move the items” error, so you will be able to move Outlook data as usual.
Tip: If you are still not sure that PST file corruption is causing this error, then download the free demo version of the tool first. It helps you preview the few recovered items for free. After getting the results, you can buy the full version of the tool.
Conclusion
The “Outlook Cannot Move the Items” error can be annoying but is generally solvable. Start with basic steps like eliminating mailbox space, recovering data files using ScanPST, and checking folder permissions. Then test for add-in conflicts and synchronization issues or profile corruption.
If the manual methods do not work then you are facing error due to corrupted PST file. I recommend you to try the best tool like PST Converter Wizard. It is the safest solution to access your Outlook data while continuing to organize your Outlook mailbox in a timely manner.
